1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates broadly to automated gathering, stacking and subsequent distribution of foliage. More particularly, the present invention relates to weighing foliage in transit as it is stacked in one or more machines and thereafter placing the stacks in storage or inventory; later the invention accommodates predetermining the amount of foliage from time to time to be fed from inventory to livestock, restricting the magnitude of foliage actually fed to said predetermined amount while monitoring the stacked foliage in inventory at all points in time.
2. Prior Art
It is known to form compressed stacks of foliage in a stack machine, from which the stacks are unloaded. See the prior art cited in copending U.S. Patent application Ser. No. 900,560, filed Apr. 27, 1978, assigned to the assignee of the present invention. It is also known to provide a stack feeder for cutting foliage from a stack loaded upon the feeder. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,741,051; 3,773,269; 3,830,438 and 4,037,740. Notwithstanding the existence of stacking machines and stack feeders for an interval for many years, precise evaluation of the quantity of foliage available and precise distribution to livestock of the foliage has not been available, proposed, suggested or implied by the prior art. Thus, the cattle rancher, for example, has been unable to accurately determine whether or not his need for foliage will equal or exceed his supply, resulting in a failure to timely buy or sell foliage. Furthermore, guess work has been used in dispensing stored foliage to livestock; thus, costly under and over feeding has been commonplace.